Project launch: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

Following our successful Climate Change and Humanitarian Response RedR UK Speaker series event in 2018, RedR UK, with support from our corporate partner AXA XL is pleased to announce the launch of a new pilot project on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.

By training and supporting humanitarians working in regions threatened by climate change, RedR UK will help build climate-resilience and disaster risk reduction capacity in the humanitarian sector, for the ultimate benefit of the vulnerable communities they serve.

The impact of Climate Change

Climate change is amongst the most challenging issues facing the world today. In 2018 almost 29 million people worldwide required humanitarian aid and emergency assistance due to disasters such as flooding, heat waves and tropical cyclones. The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events due to climate change pose significant risks to the health, housing, food security and safety of vulnerable communities and countries around the world. Of those impacted by climate change, it is the least-resilient groups -such as women, children and those living in poverty- who are disproportionately vulnerable.

Many countries face the dual threat of high vulnerability to climate change while having limited capacity to respond to disasters. This results in chronic cycles of disaster and recovery, meaning communities are less able to rebuild after disasters. However, the impact can be mitigated through disaster risk reduction (DRR) practices and building climate change-resilience capacity at a national and local level. Building this capacity also forms part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for reducing poverty globally.

Rescuers evacuate people from a flooded area to a safer place in Aluva, Kerala after the worst monsoon rains in 100 years devastated local communities.
August 18, 2018. REUTERS/Sivaram V . Courtesy www.alertnet.org

Building resilience through training

With support from AXA XL, RedR UK will be conducting learning needs assessments (LNA) to inform the creation of a bespoke Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction training course and companion handbook. The project aims to improve planning and action around climate change and disaster risk reduction in the humanitarian sector.

The training will blend theory with practice, sharing best practice throughout the stages of the disaster risk management cycle and giving participants frameworks, tools and approaches to effective DRR. The training will also use contextualised climate change case studies to provide participants with a relevant and comprehensive training curriculum. Participants will also have the opportunity for further training and coaching to support participants to share their learning with colleagues and beneficiaries.

Through this project RedR UK aims to create advocates for change, building the resilience of vulnerable communities and helping to ensure that livelihoods can be protected, homes appropriately prepared, and food and water security maintained for the long term.